ANZAC Day 2012 - Freemasons & the Shrine of Remembrance
Without doubt the centre of ANZAC Day commemorations in Victoria is the Shrine of Remembrance. Located in Kings Domain on St Kilda Road Melbourne, the Shrine was built as a memorial to the men and women of Victoria who served in World War I and is now a memorial to all Australians who have served in war. It is a site of annual observances of ANZAC Day (25 April) and Remembrance Day (11 Nov) and is one of the largest war memorials in Australia. Designed by World War I veterans, architects Phillip Hudson and James Wardrop, the Shrine is of a classical style, being based on the Tomb of Mausolus at Halicarnassus and the Parthenon in Athens. Built from Tynong granite, the Shrine originally consisted only of the central sanctuary surrounded by the ambulatory. The sanctuary contains the marble Stone of Remembrance, upon which is engraved the words "Greater love hath no man". Once a year, on 11 November at 11 a.m. (Remembrance Day), a ray of sunlight shines through an aperture in the roof to light the word "Love" in the inscription. The foundation stone was laid on 11 November 1927, and the Shrine was officially dedicated on 11 November 1934.
This year, it is estimated around 45,000 people attended the Dawn Service at the Shrine on ANZAC day.
Freemasons and the Shrine of Remembrance
I am sure there are many associations between Freemasons and the Shrine. I would like to hear of them, but below are a few interesting ones.
The foundation stone was laid on 11 November 1927, by the Governor of Victoria, Lord Somers. In addition to being the Governor, popular history might neglect to mention at the time Lord Somers was also 12th Grand Master (1927-1932) of the United Grand Lodge Victoria.
Most of the construction cost of the Shrine (£160,000 out of a total of £250,000;) was raised in less than six months by public contributions. Again, Freemasons here had a hand. According to the Melbourne newspaper, The Argus, reporting on Saturday 23 June 1928, by that date Freemasons had raised £5,000 pounds from many lodges.
Refer to the abridged text below; see if you can spot your lodges name...
SHRINE OF REMEMBRANCE.
PROGRESS OF WORK.
More Than £5,000 From Freemasons
A feature of the subscription list for the Shrine of Remembrance yesterday was the excellent response by many Masonic lodges, which contributed amounts aggregating more than £5,000. The assistance has made a welcome addition to the progressive total, which now stand at £154,018/12/6
To advance the work in the country, the organising secretary of the appeal (Mr G. N. S. Campbell) and Captain Albert Jacka, VC, went to Heathcote yesterday afternoon to attend a concert organized by Mr C. G Stewart, at which a further appeal for funds was made. The work on the Shrine site is progressing daily and on Monday the first concrete will be laid. The whole of the ground plan has been completed, and much of the excavation has been finished
"THE ARGUS" FUND.
Received through the United Grand Lodge of Victoria, Free, and Accepted Masons of Victoria and subordinate lodges: -
United Grand Lodge of Victoria £1,000
Travellers, Washington 150
United Press 150
Earle of Carnarvon. 112/7
Sorrento 128/7
Kerang 125
St Andrews In the South {Geelong) 100
Oakleigh 100
United Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons
100
Armadale. £61/6/0, Yarra Yarra, £54/1/, Marlbyrnong Temperance, Wesley Collegians, each £52/10/, Goulburn V, St George (Shepparton) £51/1/, Victorian Naval and Military £50/13/6. Mount Alexander (Castlemaine), Duke of Richmond, Duke of Sussex, Wangaratta St John, South Melbourne, Korumburra, Middle Park, Concord, Kardinia (Geelong), each £50, Union of North Gippsland (Bairnsdale), £40, Smithfield (Melbourne). £30 Brunswick St Johns, Corio (Geelong), each £30, Leamington (Preston), £27, City of Geelong £26/10/6, Eaglehawk, Shakespeare (Melbourne) Werrigar (Warracknabeal), Citizens' (Melbourne) Tuscan (Carlton), Westgarth Temperance, (Clifton Hill) Stonnington (Malvern), each £26/5/, Carlton, Aurora, Inglewood, Prince Alfred (Melbourne) Windsor North Suburban (North Carlton), Trentham, Centennial (Melbourne), Rechab (Melbourne), Thornbury, Glen Iris Thistle (Brunswick) Toorak, Mosaic (Shepparton), Cordiality (Flemington) Wattle (Horsham), Forrest Hill (Prahran), Prince of Wales Mark Lodge, each £25: Kyneton £23/1/, Rainbow, £22/114/6, Karkrooc (Hopetoun), £22/2/, Neptune(Melbourne), £21/3/, Sandridge Marine (Port Melbourne). £21 Brighton Lowry, Melbourne Temperance, Plenty (Preston), Batchica (Warrackuabeal), each £21: Alliance (Dandenong), £20/17/6, Warriors(Colac), Golden and Corinthian (Bendigo), Duke of Albany (Melbourne) King Edward (Maffra), Lord Northcoto (Northcote) Glenhuntly, Caulfield East, Elwood, Moorabool (Geelong). Melbourne R A Chapter each £20, Warrnambool St John, £18, Prince Edward (Melbourne), £17/10/, Orient of Lilydale, £16/5. Camberwell, £16 Caulfield Grammarians, £15/15, Box Hill £15/5/, Currajong (Corryong), £15/2/6, Zetland (Kyneton), Seymour, Hampden (Kerang), Corangamite (Camperdown), each £15, St John's of Rochester, £14/17/6, Samaritan (Darebin) £13/0/3, Rutherglen, Diamond Valley (Diamond Creek), Chelsea City of Hawthorn Cremorne (Richmond), Chelsea City £12/12/, Judah (Melbourne), Ivanhoe (Darebin) each £12 6/ Kilmore £11/5/8, Australasian Kilwinning (Melbourne) Admiral Collingwood (Melbourne), Kent (Melbourne) St George (Merine), Leura (Camperdown). Orion (Ballarat). Stewart of St Arnaud, Victoria Kilwinning (North Fitzroy), Clarke, Lowan (Nhill), City of Prahran, Federal (Melbourne), Heidelberg, Murray (Swan Hill) Lodge of Sincerity (Dandenong), Euroa, Sandhurst (Bendigo), Star of the South (Melbourne), Tyrell, New Frankston, Research (Melbourne), Ormond Mordialloc, Port Melbourne City, Irymple, Fawkner (Malvern), Burnley, United Service, Wendouree (Ballarat), Lombard (Melbourne), Hobson's Bat, Heather (Melbourne), Victoria Washington Chapter each £10/10/ Corona (Bendigo) Ascot, each £10, St Clair (Melbourne), £9/5/6, Nyah, £9/4/, Fiery Creek, £8/5/6, Broadford, £8/5, Wyndham (Footscray) £7/7/ Lismore, Henty (Caulfield) Richmond Friendship, each £6/6/, Alphington (Darebin), Woodend, each £6, Hopkins (Warrnambool), £5/15/, Australia Felix of Hiram (Melbourne), Creswick (Havilah). Ophir (Arrarat), Heathcote, South Yarra, Beechworth (St John, Euroka), Morning Star(Stawell), Wahunyah Maragan (Benella), Wannon (Coberaine), Ancient York (Coburg), Victoria (Hawthorn), Marma (Murntoa). Abbotsford, Yarrawonga, St David, Rupertswood (Numurkah), Caledonian (Elsternwick), Jubilee (Rushworth), Mooroopna, Duke of Abercorn, Davies (Melbourne), Preston, Dorric (Melbourne) Moorabbin, Hope of Yarrarille Melbourne University, Drouin, Wycheproof, Boort, Victory (Foster), Harmony, Yarran, Moe, Sandringham, Myrtleford, Seddon, Garden vale, Healesville, Willaura Boort, Skipton, Fairfiled, Hawksburn, Woolamai Temperance (Wonthaggi), Carnegie. Fidelity, Last Suburban (Hawthorn), Faith (Melbourne), Darebin. Aberfeldie (Essendon) Alma (Prahran), Memorial (Mildura), East Caulfield, Jellibrand (Newport), East Malvern, Amity (Melbourne), Veritas (South Melbourne), Transit (Melbourne), Mercy (Elsternwick), Eaglemont (Darebin), Deepdeene ,Berwick, South Caulfield, Orpheu (Melbourne), Scots' Collegians, Carisbrook, St Philip (Abbotsford), Viet Engineers (Melbourne) City of Northcote, Eros (Melbourne), Sturt (Ballarat), Tasmanian Reunion Metropolitan Preceptory, each £5/5/, Portland of Victoria, Unity (Bright). Burnaby (Donald), Austral-Temple, Mount Sturgion (Dunkeld), Quambatook, Ultima, Tresco Thespian (Melbourne), Cruffle (Yarravllle) each £5, Mont Albert. £4/13, Kooyong £4/4/, Bogong (Yackandandah), £3/12/0, Victorla Felix (Melbourne), Star of the East (Omeo). Moira (Nathalia) St Sidnell's, (Wallace) Ballan (West Melbourne), Glenferrie Mount Erica (Prahran), Equality (Brunswick) Brighton Grammarians, each £3/3, Romsey £2/18/, Meredilth £2/4/, Yarrowee (Ballarat) St George (Dunnollv) , All Nations (Clunes), Fltzroy, Cosmopolitan (Queenscliff) Daylesford St George, Mansfield, Mount Shadwell (Mortlake). Wedderburn, Moreland Temperance, Birregurra, Balwyn, Acacia (Box Hill), Canterbury, Old Melbournians, City of Coburg, Unanimity (Brunswick), Elsernwick. Clifton Hill, Pythagoras (Brunswick), Waverley, Cobden, Victoria Park, Beacon, Crimea (St Kilda), each £2/2/ Rosedale, Lang Lang, City of Williamstown, Minyip, Marnoo, Jeparit, Orbost, Riversdale, each £1/1/ Wodonga, 10/6.
The original and full text of the above Argus Newspaper article of 23 June 1928 can be accessed at http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/3929148
Of course lodge Devotion will not be in the above – our lodge was not founded until 1952
